Was thinking of doing a charity abseil

ManOnTheDitch

Hi everyone,

A friend of mine is thinking of doing a charity abseil in May (for Age Action, I think?) and wants to "rope" me in (ha!).

I don't have much of a head for heights, but have done skydiving and thought it was a great buzz. But I am told by work colleagues that abseiling is much more challenging.

So, has anyone abseiled and how easy/hard is it? Is it thrilling or just likely to give me a nervous breakdown?

Any advice would be welcome, as the pressure is building on me to sign up.

star gazer

<moved from volunteerism>

adagio

Hey Op..
Abseiling can be very unnerving as you approach the cliff edge and start the descent.
But, you will be completely safe as your instructor will have two ropes tied to your harness. The first is the abseil rope the you will use to descend using a belay device. The belay device enables you to control the speed of the descent and to bring it to a halt if required.
The second rope will be a safety rope. The instructor will belay you (back-up control of your descent) and in the unlikely event of you loosing control of the abseil the instructor will have you safe n sound.
Keep in mind that each rope can potentially take 5 falls of up to 0.9/1.2 Tons.
Abseiling is an amazing experience... follow the instructors instruction.. relax as you approach the edge.. go over the edge and place your feet on the wall and start to walk down slowly.
Enjoy.

ManOnTheDitch

Cheers Adagio,

Umm...the first step over the edge must be the hardest bit. I don't have a great head for heights. It was fine when I did a tandem parachute jump as we were so high it did not seem high (if that makes sense) and the tandem master really lead things.

But stepping over the edge seems a whole different kettle of fish.

Having said all that, it would be one of those thrills of a lifetime worth doing.

Thanks for the advice.

Delta Kilo

Hi OP,

As mentioned abseiling is great fun and a great thrill but can be quite unnerving especially going over the edge.

As someone who has done abseiling with complete beginners, I have to second adagio's advice and advise you to listen to your instructor! So many were so nervous that they couldnt concentrate on what I was telling them and let their own instincts take over, which didnt really work!

But it will be completely safe and you will be on two ropes as adagio mentioned.

Just to give you some confidence, every abseil i do, regardless of how high or low, i still get a slight tingle in the stomach going over the edge! Its natural and part of the thrill!

Sev

Delta Kilo wrote: »

Hi OP,
ou some confidence, every abseil i do, regardless of how high or low, i still get a slight tingle in the stomach going over the edge! Its natural and part of the thrill!

I'll second that. Whether your a novice, or experienced mountaineer, every abseil has a "moment of truth" when you commit your weight to the anchor. For that reason, many climbers will agree that abseiling is one of the most dangerous things you can do in the mountains, and if I can, I avoid it. Under typical circumstances you're trying to retreat or descend and committing all your weight to a single (sometimes dodgy) anchor.

I don't mean to scaremonger though, abseiling is good fun once you're happy that the anchor holds . Also for your charity abseil, I would imagine everything will be ultra-safe and checked and you will probably be on a second belay rope.

adagio

Agree w/Sev,
Abseiling is one of the most dangerous things one can do when climbing. But this is mostly due to the situation, conditions and fatigue.
However, a distinction should be made between personal abseiling and an organized abseiling event.
If you have any fears about the event, simply ask the instructor what qualifications they have. At a minimum they should have the SPA (Single Pitch Award). If they have this award or similar then they will have the experience to set up the anchors properly and you have no need to be concerned about the anchors.
However, there is no reason to show disproportional respect to the 'expert.' If you want to set your mind at ease simply ask the instructor to explain the set up - more than likely he/she will have done this before you need to ask.
A general tip w/regards to climbing/abseiling - If you ask someone why they are doing, whatever they are doing, and you get the following response "That's just the way it's done" then thank them for their time and excuse yourself.
Enjoy the abseil... it'll be amazing.
A.